Writer notes (now with map!)

Here you'll find some lore and background which might give you some reference and inspiration if you wish to contribute. This section will become more detailed as the different stories develop.

The city

Zatakia is the only large city in the north and the capital of the burgeoning empire bearing the same name. The city is built on three hills and around the river Zatak that runs through the city and into the sea in the east. The city has been a quiet backwater for most of the current era, but after the recent shift of power, the city is rapidly changing and is experiencing a steady influx of new riches and inhabitants. Zatakia has the only good port in the north and the city is now an important trade centre, rivalling both Osinth and Port Vosk and newcomers from all parts of the world flock the docks and streets.

Some points of interest

• The Rock Citadel – an almost impregnable castle built on a tall cliff in the middle of the city. Home of Zatakia's de facto leader Alrik the Conquerer as well as the court and the council of elders. This is the epicentre of the new empire and a nest of intrigue and conspiracy.
• The Hightown – the elevated area of sturdy stone houses surrounding the citadel. Home of most members of the Zatakian nobility and the city's most well-reputed traders and innkeepers. The upscale but very lively tavern and theatre The Northern Arms offers various forms of entertainment (mostly voluptuous dancers) and is well worth a visit.
• The Oldtown – an area of tall and ancient stone houses along narrow winding streets and canals. These quarters are located in the eastern parts and they form a sharp contrast to the wooden buildings that make up most of the city. Home of Zatakia's trading docks as well as the red light district with countless inns and brothels of varying quality.
• The Muddle – a sprawling slum of refugees, robbers, beggars and poor townsfolk, that is quickly expanding on both sides of the city walls to the south. Most of the city's non-humans, like dwarfs and half-orcs, live here too in the ghetto known as Dwarf Hollow. The slums are also the centre of Zatakia's abominable but booming trade.

Some history

Zatakia is much older than its current kingdom and its past is shrouded in mystery. Some say that the city is built on the ruins of an ancient elven settlement and that there are deep and unexplored catacombs beneath the city. The city was even a ruled as a colony of the Osinthians for some time during the absolute peak of the old empire.

The current era began roughly around 500 years ago when king Glum the Brave united the jarls of the Zatakian Riverlands with those of the northern highlands under one banner to fight off an invading orcish army. The Zatakians successfully routed the dark horde, but the king was not satisfied. He gathered a large host and sought to strike at heart of the dark menace.

Glum the Brave led his crusade through the Eternal mountains and the years past with no word from the king or from any of the men he brought with him. In his absence, the council of elders elected a prominent warrior as ”High Jarl” to rule the realm until king Glum, who didn't leave any heirs, returned. But the king never did and this peculiar custom has persisted ever since.

Despite their lack of a king, or perhaps because of it, the united Zatakians grew in power through the following centuries. Ultimately, the northerners swept south and invaded the fertile plains of Zarnburg. The southern kingdoms were ill-prepared and weakened after centuries of internal strife and after many years of bitter fighting, St. Beauclair, Domograd and Andros were also sacked and conquered by the Zatakians.

Now there is peace – but a frail one. The imperial legions of Osinth managed to finally halt the barbarian advance, stopping the northern hosts from crossing Summer River. The ancient empire may be weakened, but the old Bellator dynasty still holds the holy throne of Osinth through the young empress Flavia, and she is plotting her next move.

Meanwhile, the newly conquered lands, full of chaos and warlords, are just waiting for a chance to revolt, the otherwise reclusive amazon women of Didra's Grove are raiding along the edges of the Wildwoods and pirates from Ivory Isles are plaguing the seas. There are even wild rumours of a new dark horde forming on the other side of Glum's pass.

Inhabitants

Slaves
Even though Zatakia has an ancient feudal system with lords and serfs (or even thralls in the far north), the habit of buying and selling people has been a foreign one. Until now. The war has brought many new ideas to Zatakia and the chaos and shift in power have led to a sudden surge in both supply and demand for human goods. Additionally, many poor souls end up in slavery by abduction, trickery or debt. Many consider slavery to be an atrocious practice and very un-Zatakian, but those in power are doing little to stop it since they make too much profit themselves and are unlikely part with their fashionable arena fighters and exotic concubines.

Dwarves
Dwarves are fairly common inhabitants in Zatakian settlements, especially in the highlands where most of them are the descendants from refugees who fled their old homelands in the Eternal Mountains during the dark hordes. There is also a modest Dwarven kingdom in the halls below the Ukuth Peaks to the south-east. Though acclaimed for their craftsmanship and business acumen, dwarves suffer a good deal of xenophobia from humans and they have a reputation of being drunken, rambunctious and overly-horny with an insatiable thirst for buggery. While much of that is prejudice, many dwarves certainly do live up to their image.

Orcs, goblins, etc
Luckily, the marauding dark hordes of ancient times is a thing of the past. These days, most orcs, goblins, ogres, minotaurs and other nasty races languish in small tribes in remote caves or dense forests far from human civilization. But raids against trade routes and villages still occur and there are still reports of abductions and orc slavery. There are half-orcs and even a few goblins living around humans, mostly like slaves or outcasts in frontier areas or city slums.

Elves
Elves ruled these lands long before the humans got here and many human cities are erected on elven foundations – according to legend. These days the elves, or what is left of them, live somewhere across the great sea in the west. Or east. That is the subject of much debate among the learned. There is still however a small enclave of elves living in a sealed off part of Port Vosk and some people swear that there are wood elves still living in the Wildwoods. On very rare occasions elven ships come to Zatakia to trade, always causing much excitement when they do.